46. A: Until I Kill You

“gha …!?”

With a single fist of the heavy walker, I am sent flying through the air.

Baam.

Boom.

Baam.

Falling and recoiling multiple times on the forest’s ground, ...

Sssssh.

I finally get my balance, forcing a stop with my arms and feet as a brake, sliding while ignoring the pain.

“Cough. Cough. ....”

Unable to breathe, I start coughing.

Spit.

Then finally spitting the blood stuck in my throat, I deeply breathed trying to stabilize my body.

Inhale. Exhale. Inhale. Exhale.

Dammit. That hurts, super hurt.

Did I break a rib, maybe? no, for sure it’s more than one, right?

Also, what was that speed? I could not even see its movement.

Yeah, not all of my skills were fully activated, so though acceleration was the only skill working completely, even so.

To think it was that fast.

Fast enough to even escape my vision in my accelerated state.

Also, if not for my skills, like health, defense, and especially Hp auto-recovery, I am sure that after taking that single punch, I would have been finished.

-Conditions have been met

Skill: Health Lv1 has become Lv2.-

Here, you see. Even my skill leveled up.

And even now, I am barely standing, while suppressing the pain I am feeling from my internal organs and limbs.

But that can wait for later.

For now, I have, to do my best, and try fighting, otherwise,...

Not even my corpse will remain.

“fuuu....”

Exhaling and calming my tired nerves, I push my passive skills to their limits.

And of course, that is not only for the skills like clear mind but for all of them.

Even skills like defense, and health, and hoping that doing so may at least grant me a fighting chance.

After all, precision and so weren't the only passive skills I have. For even stats skills are counted as passive skills, which their effect can be lowered or increased when desired.

Otherwise, I won’t even be able to hold a doorknob without breaking it.

But just like other skills, doing so not only will tire me faster, but it will also temporarily weaken me after that in case I overuse them.

so now, all I can do is activate them, while hoping that my stamina will last enough for me to beat this monster.

“no, can I win, to begin with ?”

“Roooaaaar.”

Sssssssh.

Dammit.

Not even, giving me the time to think, the heavy walker is already speeding through the forest.

Though contrary to what I hoped for, it is moving kinda fluidly, through all the trees avoiding them easily as if they are not an obstacle for it.

Dammit. I should do my best or I won’t stand a chance.

No, I should do more than that, or I will end up as a piece of dead meat at best.

Having such thoughts, and feeling the world slowing, even more, I jump to the side.

And while tightly gripping my halberd, I watch the still fast heavy walker.

And even though I can at least see its movement now, I am still unable to move accordingly.

Ssssssh.

Drawing nearer, the claws of the heavy walker grew closer to me.

Fuuussh.

But by a hair’s breadth, I luckily avoided them.

And feeling relieved by that fact, I move, planning to slash the walker’s undefended body.

But just as I raise my weapon, ...

Boom.

The accelerating walker’s body stops in its track, and with all of its weight and force resulting from its movement shifting to its rear body, it slams me with it.

“ .…!?...Cough..”

Fuuuush.

Baam.

And once again coughing blood and getting sent flying through the air, I crash onto a tree.

“cough. Cough.”

Standing, I start coughing.

then trying to get some air back into my lungs, I calmly breathe.

But dammit.

At least, my state is not worst than before.

It’s really good that my health skill leveled up, otherwise ? dead meat, I would have become.

But ...

Hmm ? my halberd? where is my halberd?

Suddenly feeling my hands light, I check them, to find the halberd I was gripping gone.

Sssssssh.

Glancing to the side, I can see it, not that far by, but at the same time, I can also see the walker heading in my direction again.

That fact is forcing me on choosing to ignore the halberd.

Especially with my right arm broken in a weird angel from my last hasty attempt at defending.

With it in this state, even if I were to get my weapon back, I won’t be able to fight.

Then accepting this decision, I quickly step from my place.

Looking at the walker accelerating in my direction as if planning on a head-on collision, I jump from here.

Then stepping on a tree’s trunk, I vertically run.

Doing my best in escaping from the walker’s path.

After all, if I can’t follow its speed on flat ground, then I just have to change the fight’s terrain.

Or at least, that was what I was hoping for.

“roooaaar.”

Ssssssssh.

Ignoring my hopes, and breaking my expectation, the walker follows the same choice I did, and start vertically crawling on near tree.

And with all of its limbs climbing the tree, the heavy walker, in a spiral movement, accelerate ignoring gravity, while reaching the same height as I.

Taking aback, by the sight, and not expecting a creature of its size to succeed in climbing, I end up slowing down in my movement.

Slip.

And because of that, my foot...

Unfortunately, slip.

Losing my balance, and then falling with my face facing the sky, I see it.

The walker suddenly pouncing on me, with its claws ready to dissect me.

Fuuuush.

Ah, so I lost?

Feeling the threat looming over me, that was the only thought overtaking my mind.

And maybe because of that, or maybe because of the overwhelming feeling of danger, I can feel it.

My mind overheating, and my thought acceleration breaking through its limit. And with it, the supposedly seconds before my end, were not only stretching but also getting clearer.

Vrrrrr.

And in this new clear world, where everything is slowed down, I can see it clearly.

VrRrrRrR.

The sharp claws of the walker drawing closer to me.

vVvrRrRrrRr.

Ah, so I lost?

vVvVvVrRrRrrRr.

If only my halberd was in my hand,...

vVvVvVrRrRrrRr.

Maybe I could cut it?

vVvVvVrRrRrrRr.

But such hopes are meaningless.

vVvVvVrRrRrrRr.

Because I am already done for.

And knowing that, all I could do was close my eyes.

vVvVvVrRrRrrRr

No giving up, nor feeling afraid. No, I closed my eyes feeling tired.

vVvVvVrRrRrrRr

Because, even if I were to lose, all I have to do, is just try again, and again, and again.

No matter the times needed.

Until I kill you.

Opening my eyes and staring with such determination clearly visible in them.

Vvooo.

I see them, the claws closing on my neck.

And with every moment, they draw closer.

1 m.

....

0.5 m.

....

0.3 m.

...

0.1 m.

Then with the claw finally reaching my neck, and me bracing myself for the pain.

Vvoooosh.

It passed.

“rooooaaaar.”

A black-colored disk, just passed by the walker, not only cutting its arms and saving me but also taking a big chunk of its chest with them.